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Can you believe it? We are 24 days away from the start of the 2012 College Football season. Nuts. Last season, the SEC made it SIX championships in a row (Florida-2, Alabama-2, Auburn-1, LSU-1). Will this be the year some other conference breaks through and wins a title? Could be, here are some things to look for this season, including my pick for the title, Heisman and best-looking quarterback…ok, not really.

1. Seriously, Will The SEC Win It All Again?

For those of us in Texas, the SEC talk is a bit maddening, and with the addition of Texas A&M to the conference, it won’t go away. While most people think the SEC is just a NFL division these days, they do have weaknesses and even their best teams can be beaten. Look for the same names to be challenging for a championship again, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina and Arkansas, who all start the season in the top-10 of the coaches poll. Do I think the streak continues? No.

2. What Freshmen Will Make The Biggest Impact On Their New Teams?

There are a few that come to mind, but the first one I think about is Dorial Green-Beckham. This guy has an NFL-body already, and should do great on a pass-happy Mizzou team. Another youngster to watch is Wes Lunt from Oklahoma State. While I don’t think he is a Heisman winner, Lunt will be THE man for Mike Gundy’s Cowboys this season. One more is Mario Edwards at Florida State.

3. What Team That Switched It’s Conference Will Make The Biggest Splash?

Hmm, just to give you an idea, here they are: West Virginia, Texas A&M, Missouri, Fresno State, Hawaii, UMASS, Nevada, South Alabama, TCU, Temple, Texas State, and UT-San Antonio. Ok, so there they are. While I think WV is a good pick, it is the obvious pick, and we aren’t gonna do that, so give me TCU. They will be favored in their first seven games, and could be undefeated before taking on OSU on October 27. They have play-makers returning from a team that was a bit under the radar last season.

4. Who Will Be The Player NO ONE Knows Now But Will At The End of the Season?

Jeff Tuel, Quarterback, Washington State. Ok, so the Cougars have been HORRIBLE the past decade really, but there is ONE reason Tuel is the guy to watch, Mike Leach. Did you forget that Leach was now the head coach of the Cougars? That automatically gives Tuel about 4,600 yards and 39 TD’s, give or take. If anything, it will be fun to watch Wazzu this year.

5. Who Will Be The Most Disappointing Team of 2012?

Last year, I picked Texas A&M as that team and they didn’t disappoint, finishing 7-6 after being ranked in the top 10 preseason. This year, I think Oklahoma has a CHANCE to be the team. The expectations are HIGH for this team, meaning disappointment could happen easily. While the schedule looks “not too bad”, they still have to play Texas, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, and West Virginia.

6. Who Will Be The Surprise Team of 2012?

The Tennessee Volunteers were sure bad last year, but a schedule that does not include Auburn, LSU and Arkansas sure does look good in an already tough SEC schedule. Could they push for an East crown in the SEC? Perhaps, 19 starters are back from last season.

7. Who Will Win The Heisman Trophy?

It is going to be VERY hard to stop Matt Barkley from winning it, but there are a few other guys who will have a chance:
– Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan
– Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma– Matt Barkley, QB, USC (My 2012 Heisman winner pick)
– Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin

8. Who Will Win The National Title?

Well, the playoff that is coming will be good, which is the best way to determine this thing, but again, it’s not here yet.My Pick: Michigan over LSU – I have no idea why, but I think Shoelace has a crazy good year and things start off well with a HUGE win over Alabama.

Dark Horse Title Pick: Kansas State – A great quarterback with a scrappy defense.

It has been a GOOD two weeks since we have last updated the Awesome Rankings. Make that three weeks. That has given me PLENTY of time to realize that the Rangers are about as consistent as the Texas weather. Hot one day, cold the next, ok, maybe not a good metaphor. Anyway, after the Rangers looked awful against the Angels earlier this week, they now have a six game lead over their division rivals. Weird. Anyway, here are the awesome rankings this week:

1. Cincinnati Reds (65-41): The BEST record in baseball, and winners of four in a row including nine out of their last 10. Aroldis Chapman is a legit relief man, while the offense is unforgiving with Votto, Bruce and Phillips. A 4.5 game lead over upstart Pittsburgh is looking good right now.

2. Atlanta Braves (61-45): The Bravos made a trade at the deadline for Paul Maholm, which will be a great pickup for them in the run for the playoffs. Another well-balanced team, the Braves are just two games behind the Nationals, but lead the NL Wild Card chase. 9-1 over their last ten games.

3. Washington Nationals (63-43): I would take this team in a seven-game series over a bunch of teams, which is why they are No. 3 in this countdown. The real question that everyone wants to know is, will the Nats shutdown Stephen Strasburg. Something tells me that if they are in the race for a division crown, and they need a gutsy performance, they will call on the young flame-thrower.

4. Texas Rangers (62-43): Putting them here means they are the “best team in the American League” at this point in my mind. While I do believe they are VERY good, the Rangers are inconsistent. Bad pitching and horrible hitting have turned into “ok” pitching and “ok” hitting for the time being. This is the last time I’ll put them in on “what they could be”.

5. New York Yankees (62-44): Last countdown’s No. 1 team, the Yankees will definitely be a playoff team, it just remains to be seen if they are a World Series winner just yet. Injuries have hurt, but they are getting better.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates (60-45): Man I like this team, and HOPE they can hang on to a playoff spot. The pitching is great, the offense is timely. Big series right now with the division-leading Reds.

7. Chicago White Sox (58-47): Not sure how they keep doing it, but they do. Winners of 8 of their last 10, the Palehosers are keeping the Windy City (Southside at least) afloat until football gets rolling.

8. Los Angeles Dodgers (57-50): Just a matter of time until they catch the Giants, in my humble but accurate opinion. Hanley Ramirez was a great pickup, so was “gamer” Shane Victorino. The pitching staff remains tough too.

9. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (57-50): Just saw them Wednesday against the Rangers. These two teams will slug it out til the end. I would NOT be surprised if LAA catches, then passes the Rangers. Not saying it will happen, but def wouldn’t be surprised.

10. Oakland A’s (58-49): Another FUN team to watch that seems to be legit this late in the season. Just five games back of the Rangers and NO ONE seems to be talking about them, just what Oakland wants. The West is wild.

Bottom Four:

1. Houston Astros (35-72): After trading EVERYONE away, they may not win 50 games this season.

2. Colorado Rockies (38-66): Whoa, I am not even sure what to say. They are bad. Maybe they can play the Astros soon.

3. Chicago Cubs (43-61): It is amazing the depth of sucktitude the NL has. Top three teams are NL teams on this list, and bottom three. Ouch.

4. Kansas City Royals (44-61): Only a matter of time until they showed up here. They did host a great All Star Weekend I guess.

How about that RIVETING All-Star game huh? Geez. A lot of talk about Ron Washington and how he cannot beat the National League, when really, he is the only manager in baseball that counts the ASG as an exhibition. I have nothing to back that up. Well, its been weeks since the first Awesome Rankings of the season, but here we go with number two!

1. New York Yankees (53-33): The best record in baseball is owned by the Yankees. They have won 7 of their last 10, and have a EIGHT game lead in the AL East. People questioned their pitching after injuries, but the team doesn’t seem to lose a beat. Robinson Cano, homerless in the HR Derby in KC, is still a MVP candidate.

2. Texas Rangers (53-34): As a Ranger fan, it is VERY easy to rank them too high because of my love for the team, but they are doing just enough to have one of the best records in the game. Surprisingly, Texas’ offense has been a question mark over the past month or so. The race in the West between Texas and the Angels will be fun to watch.

3. Washington Nationals (50-34): What a fun team to watch. In the preseason, I thought the Nats were ONE season away, but they are doing it this year. Bryce Harper has been quite the spark for the team, and the pitching staff has helped Washington maintain a four game lead (as of now) in the NL East.

4. Detroit Tigers (45-42): Ok, so they are only three games over .500, but they have won six games in a row and have the talent to make a run in the close AL Central.

5. Atlanta Braves (47-39): Winners of 7 of their last 10, the Braves continue to hang around in the NL East. Chad Kimbrel is a great closer, but the rest of the pitching staff has been sub-par. The race in the East will be another close one all season.

6. Los Angeles Dodgers (48-40): When you get Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier back to the lineup, it is always a good thing.

7. Cincinnati Reds (48-38): Someone on t.v. brought up the question, “is Joey Votto the best hitter in baseball?” Well, I don’t have an answer, but Votto is hitting .344 with 14 homers and 48 homers. While I do think Josh Hamilton is better, Votto is keeping the Reds in first.

8. Pittsburgh Pirates (48-38): Oh hello first place. The Pirates were in the same position last year, but had a horrible second-half swoon. The pitching staff is a little better this year, while AJ McCutheon is leading the majors in batting average.

9. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim California (48-39): No team scares me more than this one. Great position players, great pitching staff.

10. Chicago White Sox (48-38): The AL Central leaders (some how) keep playing good baseball. The pitching staff is 6th in team ERA, while the offense is 7th in team batting average in the American League. No matter, the White Sox continue to do good things.

Bottom Four:

1. Houston Astros (33-54): The worst record in baseball. Ouch.

2. San Diego Padres (34-54): Honestly, can’t name three players.

3. Chicago Cubs (35-52): This hurts me…a lot.

4. Colorado Rockies (34-52): The National league sure does have some bad teams.

I like how the fans get the say in who is an All-Star in Major League Baseball, but lets be honest, they don’t do a great job when it comes to being unbiased. Mike Napoli is the starting AL catcher for goodness sake. I love Nap Nap as much as any Rangers fan, but he is hitting (as of right now) .235, 12 homeruns and 30 RBI. Sure, ok power numbers, but he often has failed in clutch moments the first half of the 2012 season. Dan Uggla is a prime example in the National League, hitting just .234 with 11 homers and 43 RBI, and don’t forget the fifth most errors in the majors with 8 already. Here is my list of the guys who SHOULD be the starters for this year’s Midsummer Classic:

American League:

1B- Paul Konerko (.335 avg, 14 HR, 40 RBI): The 36 year old is having a career year, just when fans thought he just might be done. Granted, the last two seasons he has looked pretty good, but what more could you expect from an aging slugger? He is second in the league in average, and has helped the White Sox to a 2.0 lead in the AL Central.

2B- Robinson Cano (.313 avg, 20 HR, 47 RBI): Cano is putting up MVP type numbers, at a position that offense is sometimes hard to find. Cano is top-15 in most every offensive category, and has played well on defense, committing just four errors. Oh yeah, and the Yankees are six games in front in the AL East.

3B- Adrian Beltre (.323 avg, 14 HR, 52 RBI): The Rangers offense is almost ALWAYS fun to watch, and this year is no different. While Adrian Beltre is a HUGE reason to watch the offense, his defense is the reason you would pay money to go to games. I admit, when the Rangers signed Beltre I was skeptical, silly me.

SS- Elvis Andrus (.307 avg, 1 HR, 32 RBI): The power numbers aren’t there, but Andrus just might be the best SS in the American League. Five triples (leads AL SS), 94 hits and 16 stolen bases make Elvis one of the most dangerous offensive threats on the Rangers, which is saying something.

C- Joe Mauer (.327 avg, 4 HR, 37 RBI): I know he doesn’t play EVERY game at catcher, but he is the league’s best. Joe was ROBBED by the fans, but that’s ok, I know he is the best.

LF- Josh Hamilton (.314 avg, 25 HR, 73 RBI): There was a time I thought Hamilton was going to hit 40 homers before the all-star break. Granted he has slowed down a LOT, but he is still the MVP front-runner. He is one of my favorite players, it is a shame he won’t be participating in the homerun derby as well.

CF- Mike Trout (.339 avg, 9 HR, 33 RBI): The Ranger killer….or whatever. This guy has had a GREAT “rookie” (he played some last year, weird how baseball does it) season, and will continue to get better. That is scary as a Texas fan. Not only do those numbers look great, he has 22 stolen bases. Yikes.

RF- Adam Jones (.298 avg, 19 HR, 42 RBI): The Orioles have cooled-off since their hot start, but still only trail the Yankees by six games. Jones is the MAIN offensive reason why, and one of the best young outfielders in the game. If he can keep his offensive heroics up, the Birds will continue to push the evil empire.

P- Chris Sale (9-2 record, 2.27 era, 68 hits, 94 K’s, .198 opp. batting average): Surprised? Yeah, there are TONS of good starting pitchers in the AL (Harrison, Darvish, Weaver, Nova, Hughes, Verlander, Price) to name a few, but Sale has come from nowhere to help get the Sox into first place. I am all for “good stories” and Sale is one of the best. Why not give this guy the nod?

National League:

1B- Joey Votto (.350 avg, 14 HR, 47 RBI): The Reds are in first place, and Votto is an early MVP candidate. Votto is in the top-15 in every major offensive category, leading the NL in doubles and fifth in batting average. This Reds team is fun to watch.

2B- Jose Altuve (.304 avg, 5 HR, 23 RBI): Youngster from Venezuela gives the Astros a young, studly middle infield teaming up with Jed Lowrie. The fans voted in Dan Uggla, which goes to show you that “chicks dig the long ball”. Jose does have eight errors so far this season, but makes up for it with 12 stolen bases. Sorry Aaron Hill fans, I was pressured by a FEW Astros fans on Twitter.

3B- David Wright (.354 avg, 9 HR 50 RBI): What are the fans looking at? Aren’t there like a BILLION people in New York? Wright is having a fantastic season, and should be the starter. Maybe Sandoval threatened to eat everyone who didn’t vote for him.

SS- Starlin Castro (.292 avg, 6 HR, 40 RBI): Yeah, I have a thing for younger players, but Castro is legit. He leads all NL shortstops in triples, and is second in RBI’s and batting average. Sure, Castro has 13 errors, but darnit, he looks good doing it…and the Cubs need SOMETHING to got their way right?

C- Carlos Ruiz (.356 avg, 11 HR, 43 RBI): This was about as easy as picking which Jackson brother was the most popular out of the Jackson 5. Ruiz leads all NL catchers in hits, doubles, runs and slugging percentage. He also catches a pretty good game to with a great pitching staff.

LF- Carlos Gonzalez (.339 avg, 17 HR, 58 RBI): There are A LOT of great outfielders in the NL, but Cargo is one of the best. You may not remember him because he plays in Colorado, but you should, he can really do it all.

CF- Andrew McCutcheon (.354 avg, 15 HR, 52 RBI): I have a soft-spot for outfielders, young players, and the Pittsburgh Pirates. It is hard to name more than a handful of Pirates these days, yet they only trail the Reds by just two games, mainly because of McCutcheon. He gets the nod over tons of other great players.

RF- Melky Cabrera (.352 avg, 7 HR, 39 RBI): Say WHAT? Yeah yeah, another surprise. Guys like Braun, Kemp, Prado, Beltran and Holliday are still out there, having great seasons, but you have to give the nod to the first-time All-Star. One, his name is Melky, two, he leads the world in hits, with 111. I love it.

P- R.A. Dickey (12-1 record, 2.15 ERA, 116 K’s, .190 opp. batting average): This was simple. A guy that USED to be a Ranger, not a great one at that, is your NL starter. The best part is, he throws knuckle balls. He BETTER be the starter.

I apologize. It has been FOREVER since I have posted last. Between school, work and family, the blog took fifteenth fiddle. But alas, we are back, with the FIRST awesome rankings of the year. Remember, these aren’t who I think are the best teams or who will win the World Series, these are the AWESOME rankings. Anything goes. Here we go:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (34-21): The best record in baseball, by a team that the JWSB team picked to finish first in the West. Matt Kemp is your early front-runner for NL MVP. The Dodgers are second overall so far in team batting (.269 as a team) and fourth in team ERA (3.27). This is a tough division though, and it will be a fight til the end.

2. Washington Nationals (30-22): The best pitching staff in BASEBALL? Yup, the Nats. A team 2.95 ERA is helping the Nationals stay atop the competitive NL East, but you can’t forget the spark that rookie Bryce Harper has given this team. They are fun to watch, and have the arms to compete.

3. Baltimore Orioles (30-24): These are the awesome rankings remember? I think this team is a year or two away from being REALLY good, but this year could surprise us. A young, young team, the Orioles have to play one of the hardest schedules in the league. These top three teams have all had strong pitching, and the O’s are no different. If the arms hold up, look out. Adam Jones is a LEGIT MVP candidate, too bad Josh Hamilton is having a career year.

4. Texas Rangers (32-23): Speaking of Josh Hamilton and the Rangers, this team started out HOT, but has cooled off as the weather gets hotter. That makes no sense…anyway, this team has all the parts to be a World Series contender, but 5-5 over the last 10 games isn’t great, especially given the opponents they are facing. Hamilton has been a stud, and is having about a good of a year as you could hope for, .348 average, 21 homeruns and 57 RBI. Amazing.

5. Tampa Bay Rays (31-23): This team ALWAYS surprises don’t they? Too bad no one actually goes to the games. I will continue to be surprised if the Rays can manage to stay atop the AL East, but the Yankees are getting older, the Red Sox seem to be down, the Blue Jays are dangerous, yet young, and the Orioles are stingy. AL East will be a close race all year.

6. San Francisco Giants (31-24): What do you know, a team that is in the top-three in pitching is one of the better teams in baseball. Amazing how that works. The Giants once again have a stellar pitching staff, but the surprise has been the offense, led by Melky Cabrera who is hitting a smoking 364.

7. Chicago White Sox (31-23): Not completely sure how they are doing it, but the White Sox sit atop a weak AL Central by 2.5 games at this point. The resurgence and re-awakening of Paul Konerko has been amazing. Konerko is batting .366 with 11 homeruns.

8. Miami Marlins (31-23): This team had ALL the hype in the pre-season, and is just now playing like they should. The Marlins added some big names to their team, but the young talent has been key. Giancarlo Stanton (Mike) is one of the league’s best power hitters, lets hope he takes part in the homerun derby.

9. New York Mets (31-24): Hard to not include a team that just threw their first no-hitter in their team’s HISTORY! What a great story. Adding to that is the way the team is playing, going 7-3 over their last 10 to put themselves just a half game out in the NL East. Remember David Wright? Well, he’s back, and the pitching staff, led by Santana and R.A. Dickey have been good. Can they stay in the race?

10. Cincinnati Reds (30-23): I like this team, a lot. They have great pieces and play in a division that is very winnable. The young arms that this team has thrown out have been dominant, including Aroldis Chapman who is 4-0 with a 0.00 ERA. That is dominant. This lineup can win you games, even when the pitching staff is off.

The Bottom Four:

1. San Diego Padres (18-37): I was looking over the Padres roster the other day, and realized I had NO idea who any of them were. Seriously.

2. Chicago Cubs (18-37): I like the Cubs a lot, but man, are they stinking it up right now. There are changes that need to happen ALL over the place.

3. Minnesota Twins (21-33): Remember when the Twins were the team that could win with “no name” players? Well, now they just lose with “no name” players.

4. Philadelphia Phillies (28-28): A team with ALL this payroll should win, right? Granted, injuries have hurt..no pun intended.

Ok, so the season has started and I have STILL not made my picks. I know, its awful, but I really AM busy! LEAVE ME ALONE! Ok, whew, had to get that off of my chest. Honestly, it is hard to write this post because I am still devastated by the Rangers loss in the World Series…again. Early prediction for all the readers who are about to tune out, the Rangers won’t be in the World Series again. My prediction. Here are the rest:

NL East:

1. Miami Marlins- Everything is new in Miami, including “Mike” Stanton’s name. He is Giancarlo now? What the what? The Marlins have won two World Series in their illustrious franchise history, but this could be the first time they have EVER won their division. Look it up.

2. Philadelphia Phillies- Hard to not pick them to win this division, but the lack of Utley and Howard to start the season may hurt, a little. The pitching staff is still great.

3. Atlanta Braves- This is a tough division. I like the Braves, a lot. They COULD be in the running for the Wild Card, but again, this is a tough division. Chipper Jones is leaving after this season, which is sad. Guy has always been one of my favorites. If the young arms can carry this team, they could see the post-season.

4. Washington Nationals- Tough time to be “peaking”. The Nationals could be pretty good soon, but it won’t be this year. Get ready to see Bryce Harper this season.

5. New York Mets- I am having trouble naming a Met off the top of my head, and the only one that does sounds like I made it up…Lucas Duda. He can rake, and will have a great season.

NL Central:

1. Milwaukee Brewers- Lose Prince Fielder? No big deal, the Brewers are a good team with a good pitching staff. They will have to fight all season, but they will come out on top at the end.

2. Cincinnati Reds- It seems like I have picked the Reds to win this division the past few seasons, so I am holding back this year. They do have some great pieces, but the question will remain pitching and staying healthy. The young arms are the key, looking at you Cueto, Leake and Bailey.

3. St. Louis Cardinals- I am not even going to write anything, I am mad about last year still. I hope they lose 100 games. 🙂

4. Chicago Cubs- I really really really really really want the Cubs to win it all this year, but it just won’t happen. Will it EVER happen again? Starlin Castro is a really fun player, and should be electric this season. There are just too many pieces missing for Chicago to stay in the race for long.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates- Last years “fun team to watch” fell apart later in the season. Perhaps the Bucs can build on last season after signing superstar Andrew McCutcheon, but that is a stretch. I will cheer them on.

6. Houston Astros- Quick, name four Houston Astros (if you aren’t from Houston, you probably can’t). This is a bad team.

NL West:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers- hmm, this is a TOUGH division. I liked what Arizona did last year, but I don’t see it happening again in 2012. The Dodgers are due, and will ride the arm of Clayton Kershaw until it falls off. Oh, and Matt Kemp is good too.

2. San Francisco Giants- Two years removed from winning it all, and they have a chance to win their division in 2012. The pitching is still good, but the offense is still lacking. Melky Cabrera is actually a good player that will help that out. How far can the pitching staff take em?

3. Arizona Cardinals- Last years west winners, and this years biggest disappointment? I don’t know. Youngsters Justin Upton and Miguel Montero will have a say in how far this team can go, but it will depend on the pitching staff that was surprising, yet stellar last season.

4. Colorado Rockies- My pick to be in the World Series last year, won’t get close this season. I like some of the parts of this machine, but I don’t see them doing too much. CarGo and Tulowitzki are a dynamic pair, but the pitching is questionable at best.

5. San Diego Padres- What a team. No Heath Bell. No Tony Gwynn. No Steve Garvey. They are in trouble.

AL East:

1. New York Yankees- Sure they are getting older, but they can still play. Robinson Cano, ARod, Teixeira, and Derek Jeter can still get it done. This division will be fun to watch though.

2. Tampa Bay Rays- They will be right there with the Yankees the whole way through. Not long ago, the Rays were the laughing stock of the league, now they are a dangerous young team that could be relevant for years to come.

3. Toronto Blue Jays- Surprise pick of the year? Perhaps. They have some great young talent up there in Canada, too bad no one ever sees them. Oh, and the best power-hitter in the league still plays here, Jose Bautista.

4. Boston Red Sox- Not that they aren’t good, they are just all hurt. I wouldn’t be surprised if the BoSox won this division, I also wouldn’t be surprised if they finished fifth.

5. Baltimore Orioles- Adam Jones is one of my favorite young players in the league, he will get better, but the Birds need some pitching help, desperately.

NL Central:

1. Detroit Tigers- Everyone is picking the Tigers the blow out this division, and….well, I am one of those too. This team LOOKS like they will be great, it is just up to them if they can handle the large expectations. Prince Fielder adds MORE pop to an already dangerous lineup, and Justin Verlander might be the best pitcher in baseball.

2. Cleveland Indians- Another trendy pick in the AL, the Indians do have some nice pieces. Jason Kipnis is a star in the making and Shin Shoo Coo is an unheard of talent that continues to get better. Can the pitching match what they did last year?

3. Minnesota Twins- This team can always sneak up on you. Just when you think they are a really good AAA team, the win 98 games….could happen again this year.

4. Kansas City Royals- THEY DON’T FINISH LAST! THEY DON’T FINISH LAST! Eric Hosmer, Brett Butler, Alex Gordon are a GREAT young middle of the lineup, maybe one of the best in the league. Wait what?

1. Anaheim Angels of the Los Angeles Area of California- They added too much, I don’t like em, but they have too much. Albert Pujols is a HUGE addition to this team that needed offense last year. The arms are good too, so watch out Rangers fans, things are going to heat up BIG TIME this summer.

2. Texas Rangers- My heart still hurts. The one BIG thing to watch is the development and progress of Yu Darvish. It should be fun, the Angels and Rangers might not be separated by more than two games this entire season.

3. Seattle Mariners- King Felix still pitches well, but he still has no help. Dustin Ackley is another young second-baseman that is going to be a stud.

4. Oakland A’s- Always a tough team in the West, but just not enough talent in the right places. Yoenis Cespedes will be FUN to watch.

I have gone through the bracket ONE time and have made some rather quick picks. I have NO reason for having these teams as winners (and losers) other than it felt good late on a Tuesday night. Here is this years madness:

FIRST ROUND GAMES THAT INTEREST ME (and I will surely get wrong on my bracket):

(8) Iowa State vs. (9) UCONN- No one thinks the Huskies can win it all again…which they won’t, but this game should be close. Athleticism vs. gritty gutty.My pick: UCONN

(5) Wichita State vs. (12) VCU- The Rams were a 11 seed last year, but there is no way they can do it again..right? The Shockers score 77.7 points per game (15th in nation) which should give VCU fits. Should be a fun one to watch, both teams are unknown.My pick: Wichita State

(7) Gonzaga vs. (10) West Virginia- NO ONE would be surprised to see the Mountaineers win this game, then again, no one would be surprised to see Gonzaga win 3 games in this tourney. The Zags DO still rely on their magical runs seasons ago in the tourney, but they are still a good team. WVA has the second fewest wins on the season (19) in the tournament, only behind Western Kentucky (15).My pick: West Virginia

(6) Cincinnati vs. (11) Texas- The Longhorns have no made the tourney 14 straight years, but this is a very young team. If J’Covan Brown can score, they have a chance. The Bearcats are another Big East team in the tournament that could flop, I know nothing about them. Haha. Give me Texas because of Brown.My Pick: Texas

(4) Wisconsin vs. (13) Montana- Boring game to start the night, but it will be close. Watch.My Pick: Wisconsin

Biggest Upset of First Round: (12) Long Beach State over (5) New Mexico- look, I know that a 12 beats a 5 almost every year, but this one would be an upset.

MY PICKS FOR THE SWEET 16:

(1) Kentucky vs. (4) Indiana- chance for redemption for the Wildcats

(2) Duke vs. (3) Baylor- Anyone else think that Duke is a BIT under the radar? I do.

(1) Michigan State vs. (4) Louisville- The Cardinals are a HOT team, will be a fun one to watch.

(2) Mizzou vs. (3) Marquette- Another fun one to watch, toss up.

(1) Syracuse vs. (5) Vanderbilt- This could be my upset special.

(2) Ohio State vs. (3) Florida State- The two seeds in this tourney are scary.